Please post your ideas for the scheduling committee.
Time during the day for PLCs to meet.
Support period for Special Education students.
Support period for students who are struggling.
How will PLCs be organized next year?
Class size must be considered.
Allow 7th and 8th grade students to choose 2 cycle classes (meet for marking period each) they are interested in and have just the 5th and 6th grade take all the cycles. Include that they may not get those classes, due to class sizes so that we have options if too many kids sign up for one class.
Teacher schedules need to be looked at for long stretches of teaching. Example: Teaching 5 or 6 periods in a row.
Finding some way to have music cycle and choir not meet at the same time (so I don't need a substitute once a week)! ~EL
Official policies regarding pullouts re: communication between teachers involved. Changing pullouts and cycles into some form of elective period might eliminate the need for this.
Support period is needed for Inclusion students! Bring it back! Special Education teachers need time to work with students on reinforcing concepts (especially Math and English if our goal is to have them pass); organizing them; and providing extra time on tests so we don't have to come in almost every morning at 7:30 for them to finish a test. (love when they don't show) Extra time is written into their IEPs, so how can we give extra time when we don't even have it? Get rid of Math Strategies for special ed kids and give them support instead. It's too much for most of them. There is no support teacher in there, so what good is it to have a full class with all needy kids who require small classes?
More thought and consistency needs to be utilized for the placement of the Special Education Teachers. Every year we have a different content area -- a different teacher -- a different grade. More consistency! Maybe ask us what we would want to teach so we're not all over the place. Do you want us to be content based or grade level based? Every year it changes.
Evaluate the cycle classes to see which are valuable. Some may be able to be combined into one. If students fail the ASK, can we mandate that they need a support class instead of a cycle?
Will there be an English strategies class next year? If so, can the Math and English Strategies classes tie into what is being done in the classroom?
Please post your ideas for the scheduling committee.